Modstream vs Powerstream 520w

Alrighty then....

First let me say thanks to those that have had helpful suggestions so far regarding power supplies. I am basically a PS newb in that I never really paid much attention to what was powering my system in all honesty. So this is a learning curve.

Before its suggested I have indeed read through the forums and stickies and have seen an overwhelming preference for the Powerstream line of OCZ products vs the Modstream line. I have also read that it seems most people suggest a single solid 12v rail versus the twin 12v rails found in the Powerstream.

According to several reviews the load/idle variances in the rails of the Modstream and Powerstream are remarkably close overall. Here are the reviews understanding different reviews = another variable in the results dependability.

Insanetek's Modstream 520 Review
Range: 11.98 to 12.01 stock with a delta of 0.03v

LegitReview's Powerstream 520w review
Range: 12.23 to 12.27 (understanding this can be adjusted) the delta is 0.04

and finally a nice light weight review of 34 different power supplies:
Hexus' Review of 34 different power supplies

My intended system will be a single video card, dual SATA hard drives, 1-2 gigs of OCZ or Mushkin performance type (TCCD or close) ram, and an AMD 64 3000+ (or slightly higher) CPU in a socket 939 board. I dont have specifics simply because they havent been decided upon yet. The adjustable rails of the Powerstream arent really of much use to me. In fact I have to admit they make me a bit nervous with the inate ability to create nice deep fried components when playing with them. Lastly I am not really interested in SLI.....well thats a lie actually I AM interested in it but my wallet and wife are not

After the long-winded preamble my question is...

Is there a reason I should favor the Powerstream over the Modstream assuming I am going with a basic system as described.

-Thanks in advance for your help

It's matter of prefrance, both are quality psu. People prefer powerstream becasue even with running sli and other components power levels on rails don't fall below rated 12v 5v 3.3v. Then we have modsteam which will work like powerstream but with greater power fluctuation, in many cases it won't affect system. Also modstream as detachable cables which it make kinda need for cable management.

the only true difference IMHO,

modular and of course like meionm said, more flucuation .... oh and the powerstreams cables are alot easier if properly covered to hide and move around... the modestreams cables are way too tight for proper movement and hiding

The question of the fluctuation was my primary concern actually.

According to the reviews (always to be taken with a grain of salt of course) the actual fluctuations from load to idle were almost exactly alike. While the combined amperage of the 12v rails for the Powerstream have an available 38 amps and the Modstream has a total of 28 amps available on its single rail will that make a big difference on a non-SLI system?

The Modstream reviews did show it dipping slightly below 12v (11.98 I think) under load but its idle to load variance was fairly low at 0.03v.

Thats what has me confused actually. From the reviews it appears the actual fluctuations are almost identical between the Powerstream and Modstream. The actual voltage in the Modstream however does appear to dip slightly below 12v.

i think the fact that you can adjust the powerstream to ensure that it will not fall below 12V is a plus. if you plan on overclocking you system, then the powerstream will probably be your best bet. the extra amerapge on the 12v line will help out with extra fans and stuff that you'll need to keep your rig cool. the fact that the modstream dips below 12v doesn't appeal to me. i believe that this can lead to unstable overclocks. (i had a 430 W Enermax that had a problem with a fluctuating 12v rail and it cleared up as soon as i got my powerstream) (it dipped to around 11.8-ish)

hope this helps.

powerstream would be for the major overclockers, mod stream would be for us slight overclockers..

if you want a power overclock go with the powerstream especially if running sli..

Thanks guys! Most appreciated

Small follow up with a letter from OCZ support

The PowerStream PSU is a bit more efficient and powerful than the ModStream
and is able to push more amperage per line, along with having more strict
voltage regulation. The ModStream would work fine for your setup, while the
PowerStream is designed for users with multiple hard drives and SLI setups.


Sean K. Sinha

Senior Technical Support Representative

Phone: (408) 733-8400 ext. 461

Fax: (408) 733-5200

Click to expand...

So despite some of the reviews linked above seeming to show the Modstream and the Powerstream having the same voltage regulation apparently the Powerstream comes out on top. In short......yep, its a better PS.

Thanks again for your help, you were all right on point.